Certain types of knee braces are worn by persons who suffer knee instabilities. If the patient's problem is genu recurvatum with minimal need for mediolateral stabilization, the knee orthosis can be simple and light in weight. The knee brace known in the art as a Swedish knee cage is an example of this type of orthosis. The Swedish knee cage has been used for many years and is good at restricting hyperextension of the knee by means of two anterior straps spaced above and below the knee joint and one U-shaped posterior strap held behind the knee joint. The knee cage is a rigid metal frame having a U-shaped bar extending behind the U-shaped anterior strap and a pair of upper and lower uprights on opposite sides of the frame which hold the upper and lower anterior straps. The Swedish knee cage provides a fixed three-point means of support intended to allow almost complete range of knee flexion, while the lateral and medial uprights provide a limited degree of mediolateral stability.
A principal objection to the Swedish knee cage is its lack of a cosmetic design. When the patient sits, the upper pair of uprights project well above the level of the knee, which can be unsightly since they protrude in an unnatural working way from the insides of the patient's clothes.
Another objection to the Swedish knee cage is that the cage, having minimal means of support on the leg, can slip or move up and down during use, which can be uncomfortable for the user.
An alternative design to the Swedish knee cage is a "three-way knee stabilizer" sold by Rehabilitation Technical Components, Inc. of Hillside, N.J. This device has pivotable strap attachments which make the device more cosmetic.
The present invention overcomes the cosmetic problems of the Swedish knee cage while providing a cage-type brace that prevents hyperextension of the knee. In addition, certain functional improvements not found in the standard Swedish knee cage or the three-way knee stabilizer are provided by the knee brace of this invention.